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The first season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is now in the books. PWHL Minnesota last week became the league’s first champion, only the second local women’s pro hockey club to win a world title (Minnesota Whitecaps in 2010 and 2019). It joins the Minnesota Lynx (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) as the only Minnesota professional teams in this century to win at least one championship.
“I’m grateful to be a part of the inaugural season,” admitted Sophie Jaques, who led all defenders in playoff scoring with five points in nine games (two goals, three assists). Her game-clinching goal late in the second overtime of game four set off a momentary on-ice celebration, but officials later disallowed it after they ruled goalie interference by a teammate.
Boston scored a minute later and won 1-0, leaving the best-of-five series deadlocked at two games apiece.
“Obviously, it was tough, but I think it drove that motivation even further,” noted teammate Nikki Nightingale. “You had that feeling of winning, especially in front of the crowd that went crazy… We wanted that feeling again.”
Nightingale and Jaques are Minnesota’s only two Black players—the former is a reserve player, and Jaques was acquired in a February trade from Boston. The two are one-half of the four total Black players in the PWHL, the overwhelming majority of whom are White.
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Both players told the MSR that they want to see more Blacks in the league. “I think it honestly starts at the minor level and just getting more kids into hockey,” explained Jaques. “Break down some of the barriers that keep them from getting into hockey.
“Representation does matter,” she emphasized. “To have more Black players for young Black girls to look up to will help bring up those numbers for sure.”
PWHL Advisory Board member Billie Jean King told reporters, including the MSR, that recruiting more players of color so all kids can see people who look like them on the ice is very important.
“We need more,” stressed King. “I did talk to players about how we need more girls of color. It’s very important to us…to have inclusion.”
The tennis legend recalled the time when she and others helped start U.S. women’s pro tennis. “We went out and recruited players [of color] for tennis. We need more girls of color represented, and that will happen over time,” predicted King.
TSN broadcaster Raegan Subban, a former player herself, also stressed the importance of creating more opportunities for young Black girls and other girls of color to play hockey. “I think really emphasizing that hockey is for everyone and it’s a safe place and that we can dominate this time just like everyone else,” noted Subban.
Overall, year one of the PWHL was a rousing success. “I don’t think a lot of people expected it,” surmised Subban. “It’s really beautiful to see. I was a part of this, it’s historic.”“The next draft class is incredibly deep, incredibly strong, skilled players that are going to enter this league and make it better,” concluded Jayna Hefford, PWHL senior vice president of hockey operations. Of the 167 eligible players who have declared for the June 10 PWHL Draft in St. Paul, Wisconsin defender Chayla Edwards is at present the only Black player on the draft list
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